Electrically conductive stranded wires are frequently terminated with a crimped connection as an alternative to electrical connectors made using soldering, welding, conductive adhesives, and various types of solderless techniques such as insulation displacement, compression, wire clamping and interference fit connections. Crimp connectors are often preferred because they are reliable, inexpensive, easily replaced if damaged, and can provide uniform and reproducible electrical and mechanical characteristics. However, damage to the electrically conductive wires can occur in the immediate vicinity of a crimped connection. This can cause a failure mode that significantly shortens the service life of a crimp connection leading to a failure of a system or vehicle employing the connection. Consequently, it is desirable to reliably and inexpensively evaluate the integrity of a crimped connector.
It is conceivable that an electrical resistance test through a crimped connector may be used to validate or evaluate the connection. However, such testing is not normally done in a production environment due to the high cost and impracticality of such testing and the inability to accurately predict failures due to certain latent damages such as small nicks or indentations that could be difficult or nearly impossible to detect by resistance testing, but which can create mechanical weaknesses that can propagate and eventually lead to an electrical failure.
Another commonly employed technique for determining the damage caused during fabrication of a crimped connector is visual inspection. Unfortunately, visual inspection is not easily employed for small wire diameters or when the crimp connection is not easily accessible, such as when the crimp connector is under a ferrule apron or at a junction between a wire and its insulation.